Canada/New England Cruise 2025 - Halifax, NS (09/10/25)

 

I knew that I was going to hate waking up today, as I knew that I wouldn't get enough sleep before our scheduled shore excursion.

But first....

RQS and I had to get up at 6, so that we'd be ready for our shore excursion to Lunenburg by 7:30.  With neither of us having enough sleep the night before, I knew that we'd both be exhausted by the time we got back to the ship.  I was up early enough to get some shots of Port Halifax before we docked at Pier 20.  (All my previous cruises to this port docked at pier 21.)  

The first thing we did after showering and dressing was to go to the buffet. Being up at 7 made it so easy for us to both find a vacant table and find something to eat.  Too bad we're not early birds.  Around 7:30, we made it to one of the staging stations (a ship restaurant) to await our group number to be called.  After a short walk to an awaiting bus, we were on our way to Lunenburg.

 

 

 

Our first stop along the way was to Amos Pewter in Mahone Bay.  We saw the "Soup to Nuts" presentation on how pewter is made, and participated in using the skills needed to make a pewter ornament.  It was a nice demonstration, and made us appreciate the work the artisans do at this studio.

From Mahone Bay, it was off to nearby Lunenburg.  Old town Lunenburg was a planned colonial settlement, and a Nova Scotia treasure.  All of the buildings in this district reek of history, even if they are post colonial in style.  It was here where we decided to have lunch and enjoy our day away from the ship.  
 

After lunch, we explored the old town a little, but didn't have that much time or energy to do this place justice.  Hopefully, we may be able to find the time and money to visit this part of Canada by land and explore it as my parents once did 55 years ago, when I was a child.

All too soon, we were on our way back to the ship.  After a stop at a Maple Syrup store (a stop geared to generate money for both the store and the tour company), we were on our way back to the ship.  Sadly, we had no time to find a place selling needle and thread (I wanted to secure a button to a jacket), so this task will be put off to our next port stop.  And then, it was time for both of us to take a much needed nap before dinner.

Dinnertime came, and we went to the main dining room for dinner.  We were seated at a shared table with 5 other people, and had a nice time.  However, we noticed one thing: Service was so slow for a 7 pm seating, that we could not make it to the theater in time for the nightly entertainment. 

 

 

Canada/New England Cruise 2025 - Sea Day #1 (09/09/25)

 

The above is a view fro our balcony this morning.  The seas have been relatively calm.  However, being near the bow of the ship, one feels the waves more than if one was near the stern of the ship.  Hopefully, we'll have smooth sailing for the rest of our cruise.

- - - - - -

For the most part, we relaxed today, leaving the room primarily for meals.  Having nowhere to go, and no one to see takes away many of the headaches that keep a person from truly relaxing.  Since we didn't get up early enough for a "sit down" breakfast, we went to the buffet instead.  This was a mistake.  The buffet was very crowded, and we had to share a table with another couple.  I noticed a saying from Neil Degrasse Tyson on one lady's shirt, and I opened up a chat with her.  Her friend came back, and the 4 of us were having a friendly conversation, lightly toughing on current politics.  The woman next to me was very upset at her church's pastor, as he was vehemently anti-abortion and showed the fetus at various stages of development in the womb.  This woman's job was to see that others could get the health care they needed, and understood why certain pregnancies had to be terminated, mostly for the viability of the fetus or the life of the mother.  This woman complained to her church's elders (I don't know what happened), but the pastor made another unforgiving rant the next weekend.  It's sad to see a woman's faith tested by the willful ignorance of a religious leader.

RQS and I took care of some minor errands before going back to the room to rest.  Around 6:30 pm, I got dressed, and we went to the ship's Italian specialty restaurant for dinner.  Although the food was very good, the service was slow. (I had made a joke to the lady who seated us: we have something to do tonight, so we have to be out of here by 10 pm.  She smiled, saying that was the end of her shift.)  We enjoyed our 5 course dinner, but we didn't get out until after 9 pm.

Both of knew that tomorrow would be a busy day, as we had to get up by 6, so that we could meet at 7:30 to be escorted to our tour to Lunenburg.  So, I suggested that we call it a day, and we did. 

 

Canada/New England Cruise 2025 - Embarkation Day (09/08/25)

RQS and I got up a little bit before 9 am today, and we took our time getting showered and dressed before making our way to the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal.  Both of us were a little forgetful in our packing.  She forgot a sweater she wanted to wear (and would need to wear) in cooler weather, and I forgot my memory stick that I planned to use on this trip in my shirt pocket left at home.

Around 11 am, our ride took us to the cruise terminal.  Traffic was slow (as expected) for a weekday, but we made it to our destination at noon. Unlike our prior experiences in Brooklyn, it took less than 15 minutes from the time we dropped off our bags with the porter to the time we made it to our cabin.  Cruising on a smaller ship has its benefits, as there were hardly any people queued for processing (compared to other cruises) due to our ship's low capacity AND the use of the Princess Medallion.

Once RQS and I were finished with the muster process, we went downstairs to have lunch in the main dining room.  Although the wait staff were polite and professional, I could tell that they wanted lunch service to end, so that they could get a much needed break before dinner service began. (We got to the restaurant 20 minutes before lunch service ended.)  It was an enjoyable lunch, with my salmon prepared the way I like it - grilled, not too dry or moist.

After lunch, both of us took a nap before unpacking our suitcases.  (I usually take out my packing cubes and take clean clothes out as I need them.) Yet, we didn't unpack the way we usually do, as both of us had our own agendas - me to take a nap, and RQS to take her photos.  And then, both of us relaxed until dinner time. 

At 7 pm, we went to the dining room for dinner, and there was a long line to the door.  Someone pointed out that the line we were standing on was for people who didn't have reservations.  So we went to the other line, and were seated at a shared table with 3 other people.  Everyone else at the table were seasoned travelers, so our conversation lasted until well after 9 pm.  Hopefully, we will see these people again on the cruise.

Finally, RQS needed to buy a sweater, so it was off to the ship's store to buy one.  She found something she liked, and wanted to buy two - but only one was available in a color and style she liked.  Then it was back to the cabin for the night. 

 

 

By the time you read this, we'll be ready to be landlubbers.

 

 

 

By the time you read this, we'll be back from our cruise.  We originally planned to take this cruise in June, but one thing got in the way: an offer from Princess Cruises to "Move Over" to a different Canada/New England cruise, so that they could make our cabin available for people who paid for a "Guaranteed" cabin. In exchange, we'd receive a free cruise, the money paid for this cruise returned to us as refundable onboard credits.  Within 10 minutes of receiving this offer, we accepted it and were booked on this cruise.  Little did we know that this cruise would be even more popular than the cruise we originally booked.

(New Cruise Cabin Location Above)

 

(Old Cruise Cabin Location Above) 

When we booked the new cruise, we were given a balcony cabin on the Aloha deck (12) of the ship.  this deck is just below the Lido deck (14), and I expect that the cabin will be a little noisy until late hours on the ship, due to the buffet area being above us.  I'm not sure whether it is much of an upgrade from the obstructed cabin we originally had on the Emerald deck (8), as it was near the main atrium.

- - - - - -

We've been on this and similar Canada/New England routes before, so choosing shore excursions wasn't as important to us as it could have been if this were our first cruise together.  We've already been to Peggy's Cove, NS, so we weren't that interested in going there again for a photographic tour.  But, we hadn't been to Lunenberg, NS yet.  So we booked this excursion.  We would have liked to get the Alexander Graham Bell excursion at another port, but this was sold out before we had a chance to book it.  So, we had a few days without scheduled excursions to explore some ports at our leisure.

This will be the 4th cruise we are taking this year.  We have one more left to go.  Strangely enough, we'll enjoy having most of autumn to enjoy on dry land.... 

 

Lunch with a friend and zoom after dinner

The day started with a gradual waking up.  By 11 am, I was up and running and getting ready to have lunch with MSJ.  It was nice to be able to see her again, as we have had way too many postponements of our lunches this summer.

 - - - - - -

I made sure that I was properly shaved and made up before getting dressed.  It was still warm enough for me to wear a casual denim dress from Universal Standard that has been a staple of my summer wardrobe since I bought it.  Rushing out of the apartment, I barely made it to the pizzeria on time.  When we met, it was as if no time had passed.  So we went inside, ordered a couple of slices each, then went to the park to chat and eat.

MSJ talked about family affairs, and how recent dealings with the government put her and her family through the ringer.  Then, we discussed medical issues, specifically an incident with her and marine life, while I mentioned my recent pinched nerves and doctor's recommendations.  She brought me up to date on what was happening with her sons, and while she was talking, a mendicant came up asking us for money.  Neither of us had ever seen a homeless person or a beggar in Croton before, and we handed this person some small bills so that she could get some food.  (I hated seeing her hunt through nearby garbage cans for food, that I felt I should help her out a little.)  We then shifted to talking about current political events, and both of us felt we had good cause to worry about what is happening to us, or what could happen to us in the near future.

All too soon, we had to part. I went home, and awaited a zoom meeting with our Texas friends.  Opening the meeting at 8, I had to use my Chromebook in the living room, as the AC in the bedroom wouldn't keep me cool while I was wearing my wig.  RQS and I talked about our Alaska trip, and I showed off some pictures I took.  I made a joke about who would wear the white dress if we got married, and it evolved into me saying that a wedding would be held in San Francisco, and that our friends would be invited.  I'm pretty sure that they would come if we were to do so.

Shortly after the zoom meeting ended, I had my nightly phone call with RQS, and then closed things up for the day....

Only one thing on my docket came to pass today.

 

I had two things on the docket for today, and one of them got postponed (again).  First was a lunch with (Short) Vicki (postponed), and the other was a movie with DS.  It was just as well that Vicki postponed our lunch, as I would have been totally exhausted before going to the movies.

But first....

DS had suggested that we see the "Naked Gun", a reboot of the old comedic series which starred Leslie Nielsen.  I was surprised that Liam Neeson did this movie, as it was a departure from his usual style of film.  So, after a day of rest, I put on a comfortable, casual denim dress and drove to the movies.  DS knows I am trans, but we relate to each other as two women.

I should have allocated more time to get to the movie.  It took me 45 minutes to make it from Croton to Mamaroneck, and park in the lot behind the theater.  DS was easy to find - there was no one else in the theater, and they still had 10 minutes of trailers to go before the movie started.  We didn't have a chance to chat before the film started, so I turned off my phone and sat down in the reclining seat.  This film did not have as many rapid fire gags as the original movie did.  But there were a few that made me chuckle.  For me, the best part of the movie was the ending.  No, I was not waiting for the film to end.  Instead, they slipped gags into the credits and broke down the "4th Wall" as part of those gags.  (If you see the film, make sure to stay through the credits.) 

Once the film ended, we walked over to a nearby pizza parlor.  DS is in-between jobs, and has to watch her money.  So we both ordered a couple of slices and caught up on what is going on in each other's lives.  I talked about my cruising, while she talked about the gigs she is doing to pay the bills.  All too soon, and yet, just in time, dinner had to end, and we went our own ways.   

Today was a nothing burger of a day. (a short post)

 

It's rare that I wake up early and cook breakfast.  And it's even rarer that I go back to bed and fall asleep again.  But that was the main focus of the day - my total lack of energy until afternoon came, and when I found the energy to stay out of bed.

- - - - - -

Around 7 am, I got up and cooked some breakfast.  I rarely find myself having a short burst of energy, then depleting it quickly.  But that was my morning in a nutshell.  Right after breakfast, I felt a need to go back to bed, and I couldn't find the energy to leave it until the afternoon.  This meant that my plans to go into the city and see a Broadway play would have to be changed.

By the time I was ready to go outside, it was way too late for me to do anything that required a trip to the city.  So I got showered and dressed, wearing my new dress from Universal Standard.  It fit me well, but I'm unhappy with how the flutter sleeves look on me. Then I took a drive to the store to pick up some face powder.  My first stop had me picking up setting powder a little darker than my usual shade.  Once I realized this, I decided to drive to Target to get another container of powder.  

Once I was done with my shopping, it was back home to spend the evening.  Not much to say about today, and just as well.  RQS and I will be doing a Zoom meeting with our Texas friends in a couple of days, and we will be booking our next European cruise over the weekend as well.  (We may delay this until we get back from our next cruise, due to constraints on RQS's finances.)

The day started with a call from my doctor...

 

I can't say that I was asleep when my doctor called this morning.  But I can say that the call disturbed me before I got out of bed.  And this set the overtone for the rest of the day.

- - - - - -

My doctor wanted to review the results of a blood test he gave me a week ago.  Seems like one of the levels was way too high, and he wanted me to avoid alcohol until I see him again next month.  The reality is that I eat too much fatty food, and that the rich food I was eating on the cruise combined with the 2-3 drinks per day I was drinking on the cruise (I rarely drink alcohol otherwise) could have been a factor.  I guess that this has to be a wake-up call to get my act together when it involves what I'm eating.

Now that my morning was shot, I took care of some little things around the house, then went out for lunch and then make a run to the supermarket.  At the supermarket, I made sure to pick up some salad, as well as some fruit.  Maybe I can start changing my diet before my next cruise?  I hope so.  And then, I was home for the night, as I had a co-op meeting scheduled for 5:15 pm.

I started the co-op meeting, and it took a while for the board members to join in.  We conducted our business, and yet, it still seemed as if the president and I were the only two doing the work.  I'll be glad when we get some issues resolved, as both of us want to go on and do things other than spending our time keeping the co-op running. When the co-op meeting was over, I started 2 loads of laundry, and then called my brother.  His boss made an offer to him that he couldn't refuse - a promise to pay attention to my brother's need for a better work/life balance.

Finally, I chatted with RQS.  We got price quotes for 2 different cruises.  She wanted one cruise, and I wanted the other.  Both are good choices.  But RQS is more sensitive to the price of the cruise than I am.  So, I think I will bend to her preferences, and choose the shorter, less expensive cruise.  More on this later.

A split weekend with RQS

 

(The Marxes made more sense than our current government.)

I spent the Labor Day weekend with RQS.  Half of the time at my apartment, and the other half at hers.  She needed to replace her printer, and I needed to spend as much time in Marian mode as I could.  Given that I would be the one driving her from the computer store to buy her new printer, and back home to install it, this made perfect sense.

As expected, RQS arrived on Friday afternoon, and we decided to go out to eat.  This time, we drove to an AYCE (all you can eat) sushi place in Yonkers, where we chowed down on some delightful grub.  And then, I suggested that we stop by Micro Center and pick up a new printer.  I knew that if RQS bought the same printer as I had in my place, that she'd likely be happy. So I steered her to buying the exact same printer as I owned, and she got it on sale - $20 less than I paid for mine. After buying the printer, we drove home to relax - and we did do through Saturday.  Neither of us wanted to go out.  This meant that a possible dinner with Vicki was out.  So, I cooked some chicken I had in the fridge, and stayed in until Sunday morning.

Oft times, I joke with RQS about going to church while she stays asleep on the bed.  Well, as much as I thought about going back to sleep when the alarm rang, I decided to wake up and make this weekend's service.  By the time things were over, I called RQS, and was bring home Mickey D's for us to eat around 12:30.  Within 90 minutes, we were off to her place, hitting almost no traffic on the way there.  If we had waited until the next day, we'd be stuck in traffic.

Labor day came, and I had to leave.  It was nice to spend another weekend as Marian, knowing that when we take our next cruise, I'll be stuck for two weeks as Mario. 

Gone are the days I'd visit DC. (a short post)

 

Normally, I'd consider a short run to DC if I had nothing better to do at this time of year.  Ever since the Orange Snowflake took power, he has had nothing but hatred for the LGBT community, even trying to erase transgender history from the record.  A year ago, DC welcomed us all.  Now, I can't trust that I'd be safe, given the militarization of the nation's capital.

The above photo was taken in the Kennedy Center for the Arts.  It was a place that artists would be proud to stand on its stage.  Now, the snowflake has debased its stage and the honors it hands out.  In the name of cultural cleansing, he has taken over the Kennedy Center and is now eliminating any "Degenerate" entertainment. As a result, many artists are boycotting the center and its awards.  People like me are staying away from the Kennedy Center and DC.

The use of the National Guard to "clean up the city" by moving the homeless out of town is offensive.  What is going to be done for these people?  People who can't afford housing need shelter, something not available to them.  People who have mental health problems are not receiving treatment.  While the guard has been in DC, what has it done?  Picking up the trash, "Police Call" in military usage.  Did we need to call out the guard for that?

But what about the cases where the guard has been used to terrorize a city, as it did in LA a few weeks ago?  Can we say that the snowflake won't use the guard like Hitler used the SA, only to replace them by the SS?  DC is an unsafe place right now, and I choose to go elsewhere, where people like me are tolerably safe for now.

We're now programmed to fail.

 

Years ago, when I started my career in technology, I had faith in a system that provided opportunity for all.  It didn't matter whether a person was black or white.  There was a relative meritocracy in this country, with an elite that cared somewhat for the conditions that the masses lived under.  I learned to analyze a situation, find the cause of a problem, and resolve it.  Over the years, I learned to look at larger systems and perform root cause analyses for problems in these systems.  Today, what I'm seeing frightens me.

We're seeing, in real time, the gradual destruction of American society.  A bandit class has gained control, a class which has no ability to care for the welfare of the masses.  The leader that we elected has exposed his toxic nature, and many of his followers are finally seeing the man for what he is - a man who only cares for himself, someone who has no ability to care for the little people who put him back in power.

People like me are under attack because we don't cleanly fit into the gender binary that his core supporters use to define their world. But we are not the only people under attack.  People who believe in science and the scientific method are under attack too.  We've seeing the destruction of the CDC, due to a crackpot in charge of the Department of Health and Human Services.  I can only wonder what epidemics will affect our nation, given the outflow of qualified, talented professionals from our government.  We're seeing a government ready to debase our currency, institute questionable tariffs, and do everything possible to create another great depression.  What's going to happen when people lose hope?

What is the root cause of society's current problems?  As I see it, it was a big mistake made by the elites 50-60 years ago.  America's business elites decided to globalize manufacturing without providing a safety net, a transition plan for those workers who would be displaced from their jobs as work migrated overseas.  Educated people in large metropolitan areas would still be able to find work.  But few jobs were being created in areas being hollowed out by globalization.  People in these areas lost hope in the system, and became ready to follow a populist leader who'd make idle promises.  They needed to show their anger towards the elites, and became more radicalized. 

Once people become marginalized and lose hope, they are willing to gamble on anything that would improve their lots in life.  They will often feel that restoring the oppressive social norms of the past will fix things.  But they only make things worse.  Instead of looking for ways to grow the economic pie, they look to keep others from getting their share the pie.  This only serves the bandit capitalist, as alienated people will blindly support leaders that make speeches that give lip service to the supposed needs of those people.

Right now, our president has set America on a course to fail.  As a result, he will likely collapse the world economy.  I shudder to think of what will happen if he succeeds in his plans.  What he will gain from this, I'm not sure.  I think he's a Nero who will fiddle while Rome burns - and enjoy the flames.  As for me, I want to be as far away from Rome as possible....
 

Seeing a friend, while Amazon has still not delivered.

 

When the above dog says "Woof!" he really means it - unlike Amazon's 2-day delivery pledge for Prime members.  But first, I'll talk about friendship....

- - - - - -

About a month ago, I last saw my friend CCS from the census.  Both of us were in good moods when we met at the local pizzeria, and had our choices of where to sit when we got there.  We were chatting so much, that I had no time to think of what I wanted to order.  (She is a vegetarian, so her limits made it easy for her to quickly know what she wanted.)  So, I ended up ordering an old standby, lasagna, even though I knew it was too heavy for a late summer's day.  We caught up on things such as our cruises, politics, and where we are vacationing next.  But all too soon, it was time to go, and we scheduled out next lunch for late September. 

Once I left the pizzeria, I dropped off my leftovers at home, then took a short drive just to see some sunlight. before going back home for a few hours to wait for game night.  Around 6 pm, I noticed a message: Our hostess was sick, and game night was cancelled for tonight.  In a way, this was just as well.  It gave me some time to straighten up the mess in my apartment.

- - - - - -

But back to Amazon....

The above items were originally ordered on August 25th, with delivery scheduled for August 26th. (I didn't care about next day delivery, but Amazon said they would deliver these items a day early.)  They didn't come on the 26th.  They didn't come on the 27th.  They were only noted as being late in transit, although they were reported as having reached the Hawthorne, NY carrier facility.  And this status remained well into the 28th.  

At the time I'm writing this entry, I don't think I will receive these items today, the 28th.  So, I prepared a new order, being ready to cancel the first order at 11 pm and issue a new order at that time.  I'll add a postscript to this entry if things change.... 




PS: I cancelled the order at 10 pm.   I'll reorder things over the weekend.

Amazon 2-Day delivery isn't so.... (a short post)

 

On Monday, August 25, I placed an order for 8 items, 6 of them were expected to be delivered the next day, August 26th.  However, Amazon sent me a "sorry message", saying that the above 6 items would be delivered on August 27th.  But these items were never delivered.  Now, Amazon reports that these items will arrive on August 28th.  If I desperately needed these items, I'd find another seller and buy similar things (if possible). One can understand why I am annoyed at Amazon, and may cancel this order if it doesn't come by the weekend.   Of these items, 3 are used to remove unwanted back hair, apply makeup, and help my wig stay on my head.  Luckily, I can get by for a while without these items.

A while back, RQS and I went to the Amazon fulfillment center to see how the firm processes goods.  It's a highly automated process, with people performing repetitive tasks all day.  (Not a job I'd want.)  The tour guise pointed out spots where items can get mishandled, or fell into the cracks of the process. I'll bet that my shipment fell into the latter category, as Amazon reported that the package had been received at the Hawthorne, NY distribution center.  (Sadly, that message can't be retrieved, and all I have is the status from the day before.)  But what could have happened?  Knowing how much they know about any package, whether it has been assembled, packed, shipped, or delivered, what could have gone wrong?  A 1-day delay is understandable, with a loose understanding of Amazon's processes. But a 2-day delay without a full explanation is not understandable, given Amazon's technology.  

Hopefully, this delivery will arrive tomorrow.  If not, well.... 

It's not just an attack on transgenders. It's an attack on everyone. (a short post)

 

As I write this, federal advice for the Covid-19 vaccines has made them virtually unavailable for most Americans without a prescription.  One problem. The Snowflake's administration has an Anti-Vax'er in charge of the health department.  He's firing people who know what they are doing to protect the health of Americans, and installing crackpots who will end up killing more people by bogus ideas than we lose in car accidents.

It seems like this administration is trying to destroy everything that is good about America.  And even in "Blood Red" states, GOP loyalists are starting to get pissed off at the Snowflake's mismanagement of this country.  He is trying to follow the 1930's Nazi handbook which normalizes abnormal behavior, divides people into the "us" and "other", scapegoats people who do not pledge allegiance to him, destroys the careers of competent people so they can be replaced by loyal and incompetent political hacks, all leading us into a country that looks more like the Germany of the 1930's than America of the 1930's.

Is he making America Great?  No.  He can't even answer why he thinks America is no longer great.  Sadly, we may not be able to wait out the end of his term.  For all transgender people who can go stealth or leave this country, now is the time to do so.  For those that can't, try to blend in.  But for all of us, it's time to read "In the Garden of Beasts" by Erik Larson.  It tells the story of the American ambassador to Germany during the early years of Hitler's reign.  In short, after reading this, one know the chapters of the Nazi playbook the snowflake will try next. 

Where did that denim jacket go?

 

The other day, I noticed that my denim jacket is missing.  For some reason, I think I left it at RQS's place, but she said it isn't there. With all the mess in my place that I haven't cleaned up yet, she may be right.  But the same jacket could have been left somewhere before our cruise, and it's lost to the ages.  So, that gave me a task for the day - buy a new jacket at Lane Bryant.

- - - - - -

For the past few days (with one short exception) I have been able to go out as Marian and enjoy this time presenting as a female.  (I wish I could do it all the time, but in this political climate, it doesn't make sense to tease the bear without cause.)  Originally, I had plans to have lunch with a former coworker, but we postponed that until next week.  So I had a day to rest and relax again.

Around  3 pm, I started getting ready to go out, showering, shaving, and taking care of all of my "morning" preparation to go out as Marian.  It was nice to be able to get into a summery dress again, as I know that I won't have this option for long.  (When I get back from my next cruise, I'll likely need to be wearing clothes suitable for autumn weather.)  Knowing that it might get cool later, I put a shrug on over my dress, and out the door I went.

Instead of taking the most direct (and slowest) ways to Paramus, I decided to take the Bear Mountain Bridge, and take more of an inland route to the Paramus areaboth on highways and local roads.  About 1¼ hours later, I was at the store buying the jacket in the photo above.  It will be nice to wear on a brisk autumn day.  Then, I headed back home on a more direct route, only slowing down when exiting traffic blocked the lane I was in for most of the rise home.

And then it was time to make dinner and to do the laundry.... 

A long day where I don't feel I accomplished much. (a short post)

 

Tonight, I'm too tired to say much.  Yet, I did have a long day in spite of things..

But first....

I had a doctor's visit scheduled for mid morning.  If I could have, I'd have skipped it.  But if I stop going, I know my health will get worse.  So I tolerate the bad news to keep myself functioning as best I can.

After this, I had a zoom meeting with my niece.  Neither of us had much to talk about other than current American events - and that gets tiring after a while.

Given that I had dinner with Vicki scheduled for the evening, I got things ready, so that I could go out as Marian.  And then, I tried to take a 2 hour nap, after which, I didn't feel rested.  So I put on my makeup and got dressed, then off I went to the Japanese restaurant to have dinner.

Dinner with Vicki wasn't bad.  Neither of us could finish what we ordered, so I let her take home the leftovers.  We chatted about personal relationships, my cruise, and her friend who may need her to visit.  Once done, it was off to the stores for more shopping.

Eventually, I made it home, stored what I bought, and finally got to relax.   Not really much to say, other than a list of things I did without much context.  One thing of note: RQS's complaint letter to JetBlue got the attention of a mucky muck in corporate, and I got the message on my voicemail.  So I forwarded it to her, so that she can call them back in the morning.

Soon, another cruise. But first, some shopping.

 

Soon, RQS and I will be going on another cruise that (hopefully) will reach all of the above ports.  This year's route differs from the above route we planned to take in 2022, as we don't expect that a hurricane will prevent us from reaching Sydney and Charlottetown on this trip.  The last thing I want from this cruise is to make another unplanned visit to Cornerbrook with nothing to do there.

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Today, I received some important materials we'll need before our trip. We're counting down the days to go, and taking care of things that need taking care of between our two cruises.  I have a co-op board meeting, lunch with two friends, and a dinner with Vicki scheduled.  RQS will be coming up here this coming weekend, so that she can buy a new printer and have me deliver it, and her back to her place at the end of the weekend.

So, what did with most of my day?  If you said "Relax", you'd be correct.  I didn't get showered and dressed until 4 pm (or so), and took a drive up to Poughkeepsie.  It was a nice day for a drive, and even the rush hour traffic wasn't too bad.  Ending up at Aldi, I looked for things that would not need refrigeration, such as bread.  But I noticed one item that interested me - a Bluetooth folding keyboard. For $10, it was worth a try.  The darned thing works, but is not practical due to its size.  It'll be nice to keep around when my main keyboard needs to be replaced, and the stores won't open for another few hours.  Sometimes, toys can still be useful.  Once done with Aldi, it was time to go food shopping at Trader Joe's. Today's food haul was a record expenditure for me at this store.  I can't complain about the prices, but I can see the effects of inflation and the Snowflake's tariffs starting to kick in.  $67 later, it was time to go home. 

Once home, I couldn't get the food into the refrigerator quick enough - my GI Tract was acting up again.  And soon enough, I was in for the night, and no longer in the mood to do laundry as I once planned. 

  

 

Now that I'm back from my cruise, it's time to catch up on things.

 

Now that I'm back at home, there was a lot waiting for me at my doorstep.  First, there was a large packet of held mail.  And then, were the packages waiting for me that were delivered while I was away.  And now, I'm thinking of what I have to catch up on before I go away again.

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While I was away, I read something in the NY Times and Washington Post in regard to Transgender Youth treatment by medical organizations.  Seems like the Orange Snowflake is violating HIPAA rules to get access to personal information regarding these children.  To make things worse, it seems like they plan to force these children to go through "Conversion Therapy."  (I can only wonder how many of these children will commit suicide if forced into this kind of inhumane treatment.)  If of any readers knows of any transgender children receiving treatment, now is the time to get them out of the US by any means possible.  

I know one woman whose child is TG.  She's working on getting him German citizenship to protect him from the US government, with the idea of leaving the US and having his TG status protected by a democratic government.  I personally know one child who is receiving psychiatric care for being TG.  If needed, I will help this family bring the child to a foreign nation, so that the child will not be harmed by forced conversion therapy.

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Paying bills is always a chore.  However, I only had 5 bills to pay, and none of them were yet due.  So $660 later, I owe nothing to any bank - and my used credit is zero.  (Mind you, I'd probably have a better credit rating if I paid my bills between the billing dates and the due dates.  But I hate thinking about credit cards, when I treat them as cash for most purchases.)

Normally, I have a charge pending on one of my credit cards after a cruise.  On this cruise, I had a truck load of refundable and non-refundable cruise credits, and spent them down to within a nickel of exhausting them all.  When we take our next cruise, we'll have even more refundable cruise credits which we do not intend to spend.  This way, the money we got back for taking a "move over" cruise will end up in our pockets, and not in the cruise line's tills.

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Given that we only had 3 days of dirty clothes left from our cruise, I was able to unpack my large suitcase and carry-on, and be mostly packed for our next cruise.  (I'll take the laundered clothes and repack them when I'm next at RQS's place.)  It's nice to be able to do one's laundry on a cruise ship on a sea day.  How many times can one go to the buffet, ice cream shop or onboard movies before one has the itch to spend money?

Since I like NOT sending my laundry to the onboard (expensive) laundry service, I probably will keep cruising on Princess's ships, as their low-keyed attempts to pick a cruiser's pockets (and deliver value) is more my style of cruise line I like to cruise with.  Even though I get a free bag of laundry on NCL, the small size of their bags make it impossible to come back home without an overly large amount of laundry to clean.

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Tomorrow, I have to run a few errands.  I'll finally be back in Marian mode for the first time in over 2 weeks.  The next day, I'll see my doctor (who will read me the riot act for weight gained on this cruise), and I'll finally get the chance to have my nails done before going on our next cruise.  It's so nice to be able to spend the money to pamper one's self with a Mani-Pedi in a local salon.  

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RQS gained 5 pounds while on the cruise.  I expect that they will go away with getting back to normal eating habits.  But it is something we'll have to watch out for while we're on our next cruise.  (I guess I'll have to stop eating as much rich food as I became accustomed to on the ship.) 

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Of course, I expect that I will need to deal with both Co-Op related  business and family homestead related business.  I have been out of touch with both the co-op management corporation and the co-op president, as well as my brother (for the family homestead).  I expect to be dealing with some interesting issues when I'm considered back in the real world.

 

Alaska Cruise 2025 - Thoughts on the trip (08/23/25)

 

Some thoughts, looking back on our trip...

• If one needs to fly across multiple time zones to take an Alaska cruise, make sure to arrive at least a day or two in advance of the cruise to: (1) Get used to the new time zone, and (2) Have some wiggle room in transit arrangements, so that a delayed flight won't cause a person to miss the cruise.
  
  
• San Francisco is a wonderful city to spend a few days exploring.  We loved our visit to the De Young museum to see the exhibition of Paul McCartney Beatlemania era photographs.
  
  
• San Francisco is a mass transit friendly city.  However, like New York, rerouted bus routes are poorly communicated to riders via their transit authority's app.
  
  
• San Francisco's Passenger Cruise Terminal is near the heart of town, and relatively inexpensive to reach via local ride services or cabs.
   
• One should book all Alaska shore excursions way in advance of one's trip.  Several excursions were sold out by the time we boarded the ship.  We were glad that we booked our trip on the White Pass and Yukon Railroad months in advance, as this 2½ hour excursion often sells out.
  
  
• In Juneau, there is an area in the center of the tourist district where cruisers can buy independent tours.  Most of these tours are professionally run, and are priced lower than those tours sold by the cruise line. We bought our Juneau excursion via shoreexcursionsgroup.com, and had only the minor inconvenience in finding the bus that would take is to the glacier and back.
  
  
• Although one can take Juneau's public bus system to the Mendenhall Glacier park, I would not recommend it, as one would still need to walk a distance before reaching the park's tourist center. I'd rather spend more of my time walking within the park, than spend it walking to the park.
  
  
• Glacier Bay is only reachable by ship.  Only 2 ships may enter the park in a single day.  One may see wildlife while cruising in the park, we weren't that lucky.  Focus on getting a cruise where one spends as much time viewing glaciers as possible - seeing a glacier calve is an amazing sight.  
  
  
• In Ketchikan, we went to see the Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show.  We could have booked our tickets on our own, and used Ketchikan's free seasonal bus system to get from our pier to the show and back.  From the show, it's a short walk to Creek Street and the town's arts district.
  
  
• At many of Alaska's ports, one can book excursions for whale watching.  If one hasn't seen a whale breach before, it's an awe inspiring sight.  As for me, I've seen enough whales on my trips to Cape Cod, that I don't find breaching interesting anymore.
  
  
• Many people will enjoy sled dog mushing and glacier fly-over excursions.  These tend to be expensive, but most people who take these excursions feel they are well worth the money.
  
  
• Our cruise gave us a full day in the 3 Alaskan ports we visited.  We didn't visit any of the more popular ports (Vancouver, BC and Victoria, BC).  Instead, we spent ½ day in Prince Rupert.  And that was the perfect amount of time to spend in this port, as there isn't much to see except what's in the Museum of Northern British Columbia.
  
  
• Assuming one is returning to the East Coast after the cruise, one should book flights as close to 12:30 pm to arrive in one's home city to get home by midnight.  With this being said, I prefer to return from San Francisco on a "Red-Eye" flight, so that I can sleep on the plane AND have more options when I get home.
  

I highly recommend visiting Alaska's inside passage if at all possible.  The landscape and wildlife are unique and can be awe inspiring when the stars align just right.  

Alaska Cruise 2025 - Disembarkation Day / Flying Home (08/22/25)

I first thought it was going to be a relatively short post for me, as I'm finally home and getting used to being back in my own apartment.  Yeah, Right!   This was a great cruise, but we didn't see the wildlife that most of us expect from an Alaskan cruise.  Given a choice between this cruise and another cruise through the Norwegian Fjords, the fjords would win out.  But that's something I can write about later on. 

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I didn't get much sleep the night before disembarkation.  RQS asked me when we'd be going under the Golden Gate bridge, and I said that we wouldn't see it when it happened due to San Francisco's fog.  And I was right.  The fog didn't start lifting until we were ready to get off the ship.

Around 7 am, we left our cabin for the last time and went downstairs for breakfast.  We had 1¼ hours to kill before we could get off the ship, so we had one last breakfast in the main dining room.  Soon, our number was called, and we proceeded to the gangway to get off the ship for one last time.  Once in the terminal, quite a few cruise rookies got in the way of us retrieving our bags and exiting the terminal.  Yet, we were off the ship and out of the terminal in less than 45 minutes, and on our way to the airport by 9:30.

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Once at the airport, we had to get our bags checked and boarding passes issued at JetBlue's service desk.  Although we had seat assignments made the day before (many thanks to our TA on his vacation!), we still needed new seat assignments because the cane I was using couldn't fold up.  (We were booked into an emergency exit row, and the service agent knew we'd have a problem if they saw our canes.)  So, he reassigned us to seats 5 rows in back of where we were first seated and 5 rows in front of the seats we originally expected to sit in.  This man was extremely helpful, unlike the "Karen" protecting the service agent lanes at JFK - this gives us something more to write about when we send in our complaint letters to JetBlue's corporate offices.

We then went through TSA security with only one minor hitch - even though I have a trusted traveler number, my belt had to come off due to its amount of metal.  AARGH!  I'll have to look for another belt just to go through airport security one day soon.  And then we were in the airport, waiting at the gate for 2 hours.  Luckily, we were in the first general boarding group, as people boarding behind us would have to gate check their bags.  (RQS gate checked her carry-on anyway, so that she could get on the plane with her remaining bags.)

Eventually, we got on the plane around 12:40, and it would be another 5½ hours before touch down at JFK.  We knew that we wouldn't have our bags until 10 pm, and I started to think: What places would be open for late night grub delivery in RQS's section of Queens by the time we got home?  That would be a question that could only be answered when our plane touched down and our luggage came off the carousel.  Hours later, we had our answer.  Our bags were off the carousel around 10 pm (even though the plane arrived at JFK 30 minutes early), and with a ½ mile walk from the terminal to the Airtrain coupled with another 30 minutes in an Uber, we wouldn't be home until after 11 pm.

Now we had a minor problem.  All of the late night joints in RQS's neighborhood were closed.  Luckily, DoorDash and McDonald's came to the rescue.  The clock said midnight in New York, but our bodies said it was 9 pm in San Francisco.  By the time we finished our burgers, we were ready to crash for the night, as we had no more energy to do anything....